Method and apparatus for hacking bricks

Abstract

Method and apparatus for hacking green bricks for eventual introduction into a kiln; wherein bricks are placed on a spread table in parallel rows, and the spread table is actuated to space each of the rows of bricks from each other at distances greater than spacings that will be required when the bricks are being fired in a kiln. A brick gripping head having a plurality of elongated brick gripping members is positioned over the spread bricks on the spread table with the brick gripping members extending vertically in the spaces between the rows of bricks and horizontally along the opposite sides of the bricks. The spread table is then actuated to reduce the spacings between the bricks to predetermined final spacings required during firing of the bricks in the kiln. Simultaneously with such retraction of the spread table, the brick gripping members are also moved laterally towards each other to accommodate the decreased spacings between the bricks. In the preferred embodiment, the brick gripping members include air bags which are inflatable for gripping the sides of the brick and deflatable for releasing the brick. When the desired final spacing is achieved by retraction of the spread table, the air bags are inflated to grip the brick for delivery onto a brick stack on a kiln car or pallet which will be taken to the kiln. The next group of bricks to be spaced on the spread table are treated in the same manner, however, prior to stacking on the kiln car, they are rotated as a unit ninety degrees in a horizontal plane by rotating the brick gripping head so that when stacked, the rows of bricks extend at right angles to the rows of bricks previously stacked on the kiln car.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. In the art of arranging courses of green or raw bricks in a stack for firing in a kiln with each course including a plurality of parallel rows of bricks with predetermined final spacings between each of the rows of bricks; the method comprising the steps of: first arranging a course of bricks including a plurality of generally parallel rows of bricks with first predetermined spacings between the rows of bricks greater than said final predetermined spacings between the rows of bricks, then inserting brick gripping members between the rows of bricks to extend along the opposite sides of the bricks, then moving the rows of bricks towards each other to decrease the spacings therebetween to approximately equal said predetermined final spacings, and then gripping the opposite sides of the bricks with said brick gripping members, and transporting the course of bricks to a stack to be placed in a kiln for firing the bricks. 
     
     
       2. The method defined in claim 1 wherein said first predetermined spacings and said final predetermined spacings are achieved through the use of a spread table with the rows of bricks supported on elongated spreader bars included in the spreader table to be laterally movable relative to each other to space the rows of bricks from each other. 
     
     
       3. The method defined in claim 2 wherein the brick gripping members include inflatable bags and wherein after the brick gripping members are inserted between the rows of bricks and the rows of bricks are moved to approximate said final predetermined spacings, the inflatable bags are inflated to cause the bricks to be gripped between the brick gripping members. 
     
     
       4. The method defined in claim 3 wherein simultaneously with the movement of the spread table to place the rows of bricks with approximately said final predetermined spacings therebetween, the brick gripping members are moved to decrease the spacing therebetween after which said inflatable bags are inflated to cause the bricks to be gripped by the brick gripping members. 
     
     
       5. The method defined in claim 1 wherein simultaneously with movement of the rows of bricks to decrease their spacings to approximate said final predetermined spacings, the brick gripping members are also moved to decrease the spacings therebetween after which the brick gripping members are actuated to grip the bricks therebetween. 
     
     
       6. Apparatus for arranging and transporting courses of bricks in a plurality of generally parallel rows with predetermined final spacings between the rows for firing in a kiln or other uses, the apparatus comprising in combination; a spread table including a plurality of elongated generally parallel spreader bars movable between a first, closed position wherein the spreader bars are arranged in side-by-side relationship in a horizontal plane for receiving rows of bricks on the spreader bars, a second position in which the spreader bars are spread apart with the spacings between the spreader bars being greater than said final spacings, and a third position wherein the spreader bars are spread apart but with spacings therebetween approximately equal to said final spacings to be achieved, means for moving the spreader bars between said positions thereof, a setter head including a plurality of depending brick gripping members insertable in the spacings between the rows of bricks when the spreader bars of said spread table are in said second position, said brick gripping members including inflatable members and rigid support members for gripping the sides of bricks therebetween upon inflation of said inflatable members. 
     
     
       7. Apparatus defined in claim 6 wherein said inflatable members are bags including weights in the lower ends thereof. 
     
     
       8. Apparatus defined in claim 7 wherein said inflatable bags each have an inlet port for introducing and evacuating air into and from the bag, and wherein there is further included valve means for controlling the supply of air into the bags and evacuation of air out of the bags and wherein said weights cause the associated bags to deflate to evacuate air therefrom upon opening of the valve means to open the inlet port. 
     
     
       9. A spread table for arranging bricks in a plurality of spaced parallel rows for subsequent introduction into a kiln or for other uses, with the rows of bricks being spaced from each other in accordance with predetermined final spacings; the spread table comprising a plurality of elongated generally parallel spreader bars movable between a first, closed position wherein the spreader bars are arranged in side-by-side relationship in a horizontal plane for receiving rows of bricks on the spreader bars, a second position in which the spreader bars are spread apart with the spacings between the spreader bars being greater than said final spacings, and a third position wherein the spreader bars are spread apart but with spacings therebetween approximately equal to said final spacings to be achieved, means for moving the spreader bars between said positions thereof, and stop means for positively defining said third position of the spreader bars. 
     
     
       10. The spread table defined in claim 9 wherein said stop means includes spacer members receivable in the spaces between said spreader bars and engageable with the spreader bars for positively defining said third position of said spreader bars. 
     
     
       11. The spread table defined in claim 9 further including links interconnecting said spreader bars for transmitting movement from one spreader to the next adjacent spreader bar and wherein said stop means are associated with said links. 
     
     
       12. Apparatus for spacing rows of bricks to predetermined spacings, comprising a spread table having a set of elongated spreader bars for receiving rows of bricks, a brick gripping head having a set of depending brick gripping members for gripping opposite sides of rows of bricks on the spread table, said brick gripping members having depending spacer members receivable in the spaces between the spreader bars of the spread table, and means for retracting one of said sets of spreader bars and brick gripping members when the spacer members are received in the spaces between the spreader bars causing the other of said sets to also retract for decreasing the spacings between bricks received on the spreader bars. 
     
     
       13. Apparatus defined in claim 12 wherein said brick gripping members are retractable relative to each other while the spacer members are received in the spaces between the spreader bars, said brick gripping head having an associated motor for extending and retracting the brick gripping members relative to each other. 
     
     
       14. Apparatus defined in claim 13 wherein said spread table has an associated motor for spreading the spreader bars, said motor being disengageable from the spreader bars during retraction thereof by said spacer members. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus defined in claim 14 further including a number of cams fixed to and depending from a number of the spreader bars and wherein there is further included means operatively connected to the motor to be driven thereby, said last defined means including a plurality of spaced cams engageable with the cams fixed to the spreader bars. 
     
     
       16. Apparatus defined in claim 12 wherein said brick gripping members include an inflatable bag and a rigid support member for respectively gripping the opposite sides of bricks therebetween. 
     
     
       17. A spread table for arranging bricks in a plurality of spaced parallel rows for subsequent introduction into a kiln or for other uses, with the rows of bricks being spaced from each other in accordance with predetermined final spacings; the spread table comprising a plurality of elongated generally parallel spreader members movable between a first, closed position wherein the spreader members are arranged in side-by-side relationship in a horizontal plane for receiving rows of bricks on the spreader bars, a second position in which the spreader members are spread apart with the spacings between the spreader members being greater than said final spacings, and a third position wherein the spreader members are spread apart but with spacings less than the spacings at said second position of said spreader members, means for moving the spreader members between said positions thereof, and stop means for positively defining said third position of the spread members.